The Cleve Carney Museum of Art (CCMA) and McAninch Arts Center (MAC), located on the College of DuPage campus (425 Fawell Blvd.), present “Hokusai & Ukiyo-e: The Floating World, Artworks from the Chiossone Collection,” June 1st – September 21st. The all-encompassing exhibition takes guests on a fascinating journey into the world of shoguns, samurai and kabuki actors during a vibrant time of Japanese cultural renaissance. Tickets start at $12 and are now available on the exhibition’s website, Hokusai2025.org, or through the MAC box office.
The “Hokusai & Ukiyo-e: The Floating World” exhibition authentically brings 17th-century Japan to life through meticulously crafted recreations, immersive experiences, hands-on activities and historical exhibits. Visitors will be transported to a time when the city of Edo (now Tokyo) flourished under shogunate rule as the cultural and economic heart of Japan, embracing the arts, nature and leisurely pursuits.
The multi-faceted experience centers around the world-class presentation of a 70-piece collection making its U.S. debut, featured as “Museum Galleries – Chiossone Collection” in the exhibition. The collection features 53 paintings and woodblock prints by the masters of ukiyo-e, including original works by Hokusai, Hiroshige and their contemporaries, and 17 artifacts.
Enhancing the museum exhibition, “Hokusai & Ukiyo-e” immerses guests in Japan’s iconic Shogun era through a variety of engaging, interactive exhibits spanning over 10,000 square feet. Supporting the art collection and created exclusively for CCMA and the MAC, the show features:
--Historical Edo & Ukiyo-e Exhibit: With a layout inspired by a woodblock print, the entry exhibit provides context to the featured art collection, focusing on the life of Hokusai, the development of ukiyo-e and its lasting impact, the art of woodblock printing, and the life of collector Edoardo Chiossone.
--Hokusai’s World: Step Into Edo: An urban street walk-through experience with recreations of Hokusai’s home, a woodblock print shop and tea house storefront.
--Waves of DuPage: Beautiful Cities: Rich Lo’s original works transform iconic DuPage County locations into ukiyo-e-style landscapes, created for the community public art project. Framed prints of these pieces will be showcased atop a custom wall covering.
--Immersive History of Manga & Anime: Guests can explore the evolution of manga—Japanese comics—through a fully designed environment, where every inch of the space, including walls, furniture and floors, merge into a black-and-white, larger-than-life comic book.
--Hokusai Kids Area: Families can dive into the fascinating world of Hokusai through traditional books and toys, a Japanese wish tree, calligraphy and origami making and more.
--Ukiyo-e Imagination Station: Visitors have the opportunity to create their very own ukiyo-e masterpieces through a hands-on digital experience.
--Samurai & Silk Selfie Photo Station: Visitors snap a photo with exquisitely dressed mannequins in costumes on loan from Warner Bros.
--Great Wave Gardens: The curated outdoor garden will feature a selection of live plants including flowering trees and sculpted evergreens, plus a Japanese Bridge, tea house façade, picnic area and more to convey the spirit of peaceful Japanese landscapes.
--There will also be an Edo EATS! concessions offering food and drink, along with Hokusai-themed retail items and souvenirs at the Gift Shop.
“Think of this exhibition as an immersive cultural dive into Japan’s captivating Shogun era, packed with everything from historic masterpieces and recreations of daily life to cherished traditions, natural beauty, and a few surprises along the way,” said Diana Martinez, Executive Director of the McAninch Arts Center. “From centuries-old legendary artworks to anime, digital art and kid’s activities, there’s something around each corner for visitors of all generations to explore, learn and enjoy.”
“We are thrilled to collaborate with our international partners to bring this important collection to the museum. Japanese ukiyo-e artists have had a profound influence on global visual culture, and although these works are centuries old, they continue to resonate powerfully with contemporary audiences.” said Justin Witte, Curator of the Cleve Carney Museum of Art.
The exhibition’s featured art collection, on loan the Edoardo Chiossone Museum of Oriental Art in Genoa, Italy, includes 53 paintings and woodblock prints by leading artists of ukiyo-e —a major artistic genre that flourished during Japan’s Edo period (1603–1868)—along with 17 handcrafted objects. Widely considered as one of the most recognizable images in the world, the collection features Katsushika Hokusai’s iconic masterpiece, “Under the Wave off Kanagawa,” along with eight more of his original works. There will also be 15 works by Utagawa Hiroshige, particularly known for the “One Hundred Famous Views of Edo” series, along with works by 15 of their contemporaries.
The MAC will host on-site lectures by authors and curators, film screenings, weekly Japanese calligraphy and woodblock print-making classes, and more. For many of these events, a “Hokusai & Ukiyo-e" exhibition ticket will grant free access. In addition, celebrating the much-anticipated exhibition by hosting ancillary events including local gallery exhibitions, mural displays through the Waves of DuPage Public Art Project, restaurant offerings, classes related to Japanese cultural activities and more.
More information about the “Hokusai & Ukiyo-e: The Floating World” and tickets can be found at Hokusai2025.org.
Additional Exhibition Information
The exhibition is organized by the Cleve Carney Museum of Art, with works from the Edoardo Chiossone Museum of Oriental Art of Genoa, Italy that was originally collected by Edoardo Chiossone (1833-1898), whose collection is known worldwide for the quality of art and its remarkable state of conservation. The featured ukiyo-e collection on loan will be curated by professor and art historian Rossella Menegazzo of The University of Milan as part of the larger exhibition at the MAC and CCMA, curated by Justin Witte.
Support for “Hokusai & Ukiyo-e: The Floating World, Artworks from the Chiossone Collection” is provided in part by The County of DuPage, Ball Horticultural, DuPage Foundation, Arts DuPage, Wight & Company, The Illinois Arts Council, Capstone Financial Advisors, the JCS Fund, National Endowment for the Arts, Molex, the Japanese Chamber of Commerce, the College of DuPage, Discover DuPage and DCVB DuMore DuPage.
Exhibition Tickets
Ticket prices range from $12 to $32 ($12 tickets available Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 2 – 5 p.m.). VIP add-on packages start at $25 and include benefits such as audio tours, catalogs and exhibition merchandise. For tickets or more information visit Hokusai2025.org or call the MAC Box Office 630.942.4000. Discounts are available for groups of 20 or more by contacting the group sales coordinator at 630.942.3026 or grouptix@cod.edu.
About the Cleve Carney Museum of Art
The late Cleve Carney provided a significant legacy gift to establish the Cleve Carney Art Gallery at College of DuPage. The gallery opened in February 2014 with its inaugural exhibition, “Selections from Cleve Carney’s Art Collection.” In fall 2019, the gallery was expanded to a 2,500 square-foot museum. The Cleve Carney Museum of Art opened June 2021 with the highly anticipated “Frida Kahlo: Timeless” exhibition followed it up in summer 2023 with “Warhol.” Funding for CCMA is provided by the Cleve Carney Endowment Fund, which supports vital programming including artist engagement opportunities for community members and students, gallery exhibitions, artist commissions, new acquisitions and other teaching and learning tools that foster cultural enrichment in our community. More information can be found at TheCCMA.org and on social media @CleveCarneyMuseumofArt.
About the MAC
McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage is located 25 miles west of Chicago near I-88 and I-355. It houses three indoor performance spaces (780-seat proscenium Belushi Performance Hall; 186-seat soft-thrust Playhouse Theatre; and a versatile black box Studio Theatre), outdoor Lakeside Pavilion, plus the Cleve Carney Museum of Art and classrooms for the college’s academic programming. The MAC has presented theater, music, dance and visual art to more than 1.5 million people since its opening in 1986 and typically welcomes more than 100,000 patrons from the greater Chicago area to more than 230 performances each season. For more information about the MAC, visit AtTheMAC.org or @AtTheMAC on Facebook and Instagram.